Indentification of Earth Materials
Initial Publication Date: August 3, 2009
Summary
By presenting the students with fossils and other earth materials and giving clues as to their origin, they will be able to identify the fossils and materials and be able to form a hypothesis as to how they were formed and what it was before preservation.
Learning Goals
Students will observe and record any information about their selected earth material in their science notebooks.
Students will formulate ideas as to the formation of earth materials.
Students will write a summary of their findings.
Students will perform an oral presentation of their findings.
Students will formulate ideas as to the formation of earth materials.
Students will write a summary of their findings.
Students will perform an oral presentation of their findings.
Context for Use
2- day activity in a seventh grade science classroom. This is intended to be the opening lesson into the Earth Science Unit. It will be the first time students will work with 'rocks' in your class.
Description and Teaching Materials
Day One:
- Have examples of fossils, coal, and minerals displayed on a table as students walk in for class. (Have more samples than the number of students in class.)
- Encourage the students to stand around the table and look at all of the samples. The students will then be asked to come up with 6-8 questions about their sample. My include but not limited to:
o What do you think they are?
o What are they made of?
o How heavy are they?
o How old do you think they are?
o How were they formed?
o Where did they come from? Beulah? Africa? South Dakota? China? Montana?
o What are they used for? What are they good for?
- Each student takes a sample back to their desk. First have them take some time to closely look at their rock, what features does it have? (Have magnifying glasses or hand lenses available.) Once they are done drawing, find someone sitting next to them that they will talk to about their sample. Should include but not limited to:
Day Two:
- Students take the same sample back to their desks.
- Students will read a selected text dealing with fossils and minerals in order to form a knowledge base to the material. The text will be read aloud in class. Following every section, a short period of discussion will take place during which students will say something to the class about what they have learned. Encourage them to relate it to what they experienced the day before.
- Present the rock cycle to students – use a diagram and discuss the stages.
- As homework, students will write a 1/2 page 'story' about their sample, including all of the information they have derived about it.
o Essay will be graded on structure such as grammar, spelling etc. More importantly will be judged on the content of time eras, type of rock they are found in, why some are extinct and if they include some common uses for the material.
- When finished with the essay, the students will read the essay to a family member and answer any questions that their family may have. Students will journal how this experience went and record the questions they were asked. These questions will be their questions for further study.
- Have examples of fossils, coal, and minerals displayed on a table as students walk in for class. (Have more samples than the number of students in class.)
- Encourage the students to stand around the table and look at all of the samples. The students will then be asked to come up with 6-8 questions about their sample. My include but not limited to:
o What do you think they are?
o What are they made of?
o How heavy are they?
o How old do you think they are?
o How were they formed?
o Where did they come from? Beulah? Africa? South Dakota? China? Montana?
o What are they used for? What are they good for?
- Each student takes a sample back to their desk. First have them take some time to closely look at their rock, what features does it have? (Have magnifying glasses or hand lenses available.) Once they are done drawing, find someone sitting next to them that they will talk to about their sample. Should include but not limited to:
- What they think it is!
- Why did they pick that one?
- How it became like it is.
- What could people use it for? Farming? Hunting? Energy?
- Why does it look the way it does?
Day Two:
- Students take the same sample back to their desks.
- Students will read a selected text dealing with fossils and minerals in order to form a knowledge base to the material. The text will be read aloud in class. Following every section, a short period of discussion will take place during which students will say something to the class about what they have learned. Encourage them to relate it to what they experienced the day before.
- Present the rock cycle to students – use a diagram and discuss the stages.
- As homework, students will write a 1/2 page 'story' about their sample, including all of the information they have derived about it.
o Essay will be graded on structure such as grammar, spelling etc. More importantly will be judged on the content of time eras, type of rock they are found in, why some are extinct and if they include some common uses for the material.
- When finished with the essay, the students will read the essay to a family member and answer any questions that their family may have. Students will journal how this experience went and record the questions they were asked. These questions will be their questions for further study.
Teaching Notes and Tips
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Assessment
All questions, observations, sketches, writings etc will be put into the student's science notebook to be found for grading purposes.
Standards
8.3.1.3.2 and 8.3.1.3.3